1. FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_for_Worldwide_Interbank_Financial_Telecommunication
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Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial
Telecommunication
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"SWIFT" redirects here. For other uses, see Swift (disambiguation).
Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial
Telecommunication
Type Cooperative
Industry Telecommunications
Founded 1973
Headquarters Brussels, Belgium
Products Financial Telecommunication
Employees > 2000
Website SWIFT.com
The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication ("SWIFT") operates a worldwide
financial messaging network which exchanges messages between banks and other financial institutions. SWIFT
also markets software and services to financial institutions, much of it for use on the SWIFTNet Network, and ISO
9362 bank identifier codes (BICs) are popularly known as "SWIFT codes".
The current Chairman of SWIFT is Yawar Shah, who was born and raised in Pakistan, and the CEO is Lázaro
Campos, who is from Spain.
The majority of international interbank messages use the SWIFT network. As of September 2010, SWIFT linked
more than 9,000 financial institutions in 209 countries and territories, who were exchanging an average of over 15
million messages per day (compared to an average of 2.4 million daily messages in 1995). [1] SWIFT transports
financial messages in a highly secure way, but does not hold accounts for its members and does not perform any
form of clearing or settlement.
SWIFT does not facilitate funds transfer, rather, it sends payment orders, which must be settled via correspondent
accounts that the institutions have with each other. Each financial institution, to exchange banking transactions,
must have a banking relationship by either being a bank or affiliating itself with one (or more) so as to enjoy those
particular business features.

2. SWIFT is a cooperative society under Belgian law and it is owned by its member financial institutions. SWIFT has
offices around the world. SWIFT headquarters, designed by Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura are located in La
Hulpe, Belgium, near Brussels.
Contents
[hide]
 1 History
 2 Standards
 3 Operations centers
 4 SWIFTNet Network
o 4.1 Architecture
o 4.2 SWIFT Phase 2
 5 SWIFT interfaces
 6 SWIFT services
o 6.1 SWIFTNet Mail
 7 Controversy
o 7.1 Terrorist Finance Tracking Program
o 7.2 Iran business
 8 See also
 9 References
 10 External links
[edit] History
It was founded in Brussels in 1973, supported by 239 banks in 15 countries. It started to establish common
standards for financial transactions and a shared data processing system and worldwide communications network
designed by Logica [2]. Fundamental operating procedures, rules for liability, etc., were established in 1975 and the
first message was sent in 1977.
[edit] Standards
SWIFT has become the industry standard for syntax in financial messages. Messages formatted to SWIFT
standards can be read by, and processed by, many well known financial processing systems, whether or not the
message actually traveled over the SWIFT network. SWIFT cooperates with international organizations for
defining standards for message format and content. SWIFT is also registration authority (RA) for the following
ISO standards:[3]
 ISO 9362:1994 Banking—Banking telecommunication messages—Bank identifier codes
 ISO 10383:2003 Securities and related financial instruments—Codes for exchanges and market identification (MIC)
 ISO 13616:2003 IBAN Registry
 ISO 15022:1999 Securities—Scheme for messages (Data Field Dictionary) (replaces ISO 7775)
 ISO 20022-1:2004 and ISO 20022-2:2007 Financial services—UNIversal Financial Industry message scheme
In RFC 3615 urn:swift: was defined as Uniform Resource Names (URNs) for SWIFT FIN.[4]
[edit] Operations centers
The SWIFT secure messaging network is run from two redundant data centers, one in the United States and one in
the Netherlands. These centers share information in near real-time. In case of a failure in one of the data centers,

3. the other is able to handle the traffic of the complete network. Currently, SWIFT has opened a third data center in
Switzerland, which started operating in 2009. [5] Since then data from European SWIFT members will no longer be
mirrored to the US data center. Also called Distributed Architecture will partition messaging into two zones, the
European messaging zone and the Trans-Atlantic messaging zone.[6] European Zone messages are stored in the
Netherlands and in a part of the Switzerland operating center, Trans-Atlantic Zone messages are stored in the US
and in a part of the Switzerland operating center that is segregated from the European Zone messages. Countries
outside of Europe were by default allocated to the Trans-Atlantic Zone but could choose to have their messages
stored in the European Zone.
[edit] SWIFTNet Network
SWIFT moved to its current IP Network infrastructure, known as SWIFTNet, from 2001 to 2005, [7] providing a
total replacement of the previous X.25 infrastructure. The process involved the development of new protocols that
facilitate efficient messaging, using existing and new message standards. The adopted technology chosen to
develop the protocols was XML, where it now provides a wrapper around all messages legacy or contemporary.
The communication protocols can be broken down into:
InterAct FileAct Browse
 SWIFTNet InterAct Realtime
 SWIFTNet FileAct Realtime
 SWIFTNet InterAct Store and  SWIFTNet Browse
 SWIFTNet FileAct Store and Forward
Forward
[edit] Architecture
SWIFT provides a centralized store-and-forward mechanism, with some transaction management. For bank A to
send a message to bank B with a copy or authorization with institution C, it formats the message according to
standard, and securely sends it to SWIFT. SWIFT guarantees its secure and reliable delivery to B after the
appropriate action by C. SWIFT guarantees are based primarily on high redundancy of hardware, software, and
people.
[edit] SWIFT Phase 2
During 2007 and 2008, the entire SWIFT Network migrated its infrastructure to a new protocol called SWIFT
Phase 2. The main difference between Phase 2 and the former arrangement is that Phase 2 requires banks
connecting to the network to use a Relationship Management Application (RMA) instead of the former Bilateral
key exchange (BKE) system. According to SWIFT's public information database on the subject, RMA software
should eventually prove more secure and easier to keep up-to-date; however, converting to the RMA system also
meant that thousands of banks around the world had to update their international payments systems in order to
comply with the new standards. RMA completely replaced BKE since 1 January 2009.
[edit] SWIFT interfaces
SWIFT actually means several things in the financial world:
1. a secure network for transmitting messages between financial institutions;
2. a set of syntax standards for financial messages (for transmission over SWIFTNet or any other network)
3. a set of connection software and services, allowing financial institutions to transmit messages over SWIFT network.
Under 3) above, SWIFT provides turn-key solutions for members, consisting of linkage clients to facilitate
connectivity to the SWIFT network and CBTs or 'computer based terminals' which members use to manage the

4. delivery and receipt of their messages. Some of the more well-known interfaces and CBTs provided to their
members are:
 SWIFTNet Link (SNL) – Software which is installed on the SWIFT customer's site and opens a connection to
SWIFTNet. Other applications can only communicate with SWIFTNet through the SNL.
 Alliance Gateway (SAG) – SWIFT Software with various interfaces (e.g. RAHA = Remote Access Host Adapter),
allowing other software products to use the SNL to connect to SWIFTNet
 Alliance WebStation (SAB), desktop interface for SWIFT Alliance Gateway with several usage options:
1. administrative access to the SAG
2. direct connection SWIFTNet via the SAG, in order to administrate SWIFT Certificates
3. so called Browse connection to SWIFTNet (also via SAG) in order to use additional services, for example Target2
 Alliance Access (SAA) is the main messaging software by SWIFT, which allows message creation only for FIN
messages, but routing and monitoring for FIN and MX messages. The main interfaces are FTA (files transfer
automated, not FTP) and MQSA, a Websphere MQ interface.
 The Alliance Workstation (SAW) is the desktop software for administration, monitoring and FIN message creation.
Since Alliance Access is not yet capable of creating MX messages, Alliance Messenger (SAM) has to be used for
this purpose.
 Alliance Web Platform (SWP) as new thin-client desktop interface provided as an alternative to existing Alliance
WebStation, Alliance Workstation (soon) and Alliance Messenger.
[edit] SWIFT services
There are four key areas that SWIFT services fall under within the Financial marketplace, Securities, Treasury &
Derivatives, Trade Services and Payments & Cash Management.
Securities Treasury & Derivatives Cash Management Trade Services
 SWIFTNet FIX  SWIFTNet Accord for  SWIFTNet Bulk  SWIFTNet Trade
(obsolete) Treasury Payments Services Utility
 SWIFTNet Data  SWIFTNet  SWIFTNet Cash
Distribution Affirmations Reporting
 SWIFTNet Funds  SWIFTNet CLS Third  SWIFTNet
 SWIFTNet Accord for Party Service Exceptions and
Securities Investigations
[edit] SWIFTNet Mail
SWIFT also offer a secure person-to-person messaging service, SWIFTNet Mail, which went live on 16 May
2007.[8] SWIFT clients can configure their existing email infrastructure to pass email messages through the highly
secure and reliable SWIFTNet network instead of the open Internet. SWIFTNet Mail is intended for the secure
transfer of sensitive business documents, such as invoices, contracts and signatories, and is designed to replace
existing telex and courier services, as well as the transmission of security-sensitive data over the open Internet.
Eight financial institutions, including HSBC, FirstRand Bank, Clearstream, DnB NOR, Nedbank, Standard Bank
of South Africa and Bear Stearns, as well as SWIFT piloted the service. [9]
[edit] Controversy
[edit] Terrorist Finance Tracking Program
Main article: Terrorist Finance Tracking Program

5. A series of articles published on 23 June 2006, by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Los
Angeles Times revealed that the US Treasury Department and the CIA, United States government agencies, had a
program to access the SWIFT transaction database after the 11 September attacks called the Terrorist Finance
Tracking Program.[10]
After these articles, SWIFT quickly came under pressure for compromising the data privacy of its customers by
letting a foreign government agency access sensitive personal data. In September 2006, the Belgian government
declared that the SWIFT dealings with U.S. government authorities were, in fact, a breach of Belgian and
European privacy laws.
In response, SWIFT is in the process of improving its architecture to satisfy member privacy concerns by
implementing the new Distributed Architecture with a two-zone model for storing messages (see Operations
centers).
Concurrent to this process,[clarification needed] the European Union negotiated an agreement with the United States
Government to permit the transfer of intra-EU SWIFT transaction information to the United States under certain
circumstances. Due to concerns about its potential contents, the European Parliament adopted a position statement
in September 2009, demanding to see the full text of the agreement, and requesting that it be fully compliant with
EU privacy legislation, with appropriate oversight mechanisms in place to ensure that all data requests were
handled appropriately.[11] An interim agreement was signed without European Parliamentary approval by the
European Council on 30 November 2009,[12] the day before the Lisbon Treaty—which would have prohibited such
an agreement from being signed under the terms of the Codecision procedure—formally came into effect. While
the interim agreement was scheduled to come into effect on 1 January 2010, the text of the agreement was
classified as "EU Restricted" until translations could be provided in all EU languages, and is due to be published
on 25 January 2010.[citation needed]
On 11 February 2010, the European Parliament decided to reject the interim agreement between the EU and the
USA with 378 to 196 votes.[13][14] One week earlier, the parliament's civil liberties committee already rejected the
deal, citing legal reservations.[15]
In March 2011, it was reported that two mechanisms of data protection had failed: EUROPOL released a report
complaining that American requests for information had been too vague (making it impossible to make judgements
on validity),[16] and that the guaranteed right for European citizens to know whether their information had been
accessed by American authorities had not been put in to practice. [16]
[edit] Iran business
In January 2012, the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) implemented a campaign calling on
SWIFT to end all relations with Iran's banking system, including the Central Bank of Iran. UANI asserted that
Iran's membership in SWIFT violated U.S. and EU financial sanctions against Iran as well as Swift's own
corporate rules.[17]
Consequently, in February 2012, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee unanimously approved sanctions against
SWIFT aimed at pressuring the Belgian financial telecommunications network to terminate its ties with blacklisted
Iranian banks. Expelling Iranian banks from SWIFT would potentially deny Iran access to billions of dollars in
revenue. Mark Wallace, president of UANI, praised the Senate Banking Committee. [18]
Initially SWIFT denied it was acting illegally[18] but now says "it is working with U.S. and European governments
to address their concerns that its financial services are being used by Iran to avoid sanctions and conduct illicit
business."[19] Targeted banks would be - amongst others - Saderat Bank of Iran, Bank Mellat, Post Bank of Iran
and Sepah Bank [20].

6. [edit] See also
 Bilateral key exchange and the new Relationship Management Application (RMA)
 Electronic money
 ISO 9362, the SWIFT/BIC code standard
 ISO 15022
 ISO 20022
 MA/CUG
 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
 Routing transit number
 Sibos conference
 TIPANET
 Value transfer system
[edit] References
1. ^ "Swift Company Information". SWIFT. 9 March 2010.
2. ^ "Logica history".
3. ^ "ISO Maintenance agencies and registration authorities"].
4. ^ "RFC 3615 – A Uniform Resource Name (URN) Namespace for SWIFT Fin".
5. ^ "SWIFT: SIBOS issues". SWIFT. 16 September 2008. p.12
6. ^ "Distributed architecture". SWIFT. 6 June 2008.
7. ^ "SWIFT History". SWIFT.
8. ^ "SWIFTNet Mail now available".
9. ^ "SWIFTNet Mail pilot phase underway".
10. ^ Brand, Constant (28 September 2005). "Belgian PM: Data Transfer Broke Rules". Washington Post. Retrieved 23
May 2010.
11. ^ "European Parliament resolution of 17 September 2009 on the SWIFT Agreement". European Parliament. 17
September 2009.
12. ^ "European Parliament to vote on interim agreement at February session". European Parliament. 21 January 2010.
13. ^ Brand, Constant (11 February 2010), "Parliament rejects bank transfer data deal", European Voice
14. ^ "Euro MPs block bank data deal with US", BBC News, 11 February 2010.
15. ^ "EU Parliament Body Rejects EU-US Data Sharing Deal", Wall Street Journal, 4 February 2010[dead link].
16. ^ a b Schult, Christoph (16 March 2011). "Brussels Eyes a Halt to SWIFT Data Agreement". Der Spiegel.
17. ^ "Iran Praises Nuclear Talks With Team From U.N.". The New York Times. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 4 February
2012.
18. ^ a b Rick Gladstone (3 February 2012). "Senate Panel Approves Potentially Toughest Penalty Yet Against Iran’s
Wallet". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
19. ^ Jay Solomon & Adam Entous (4 February 2012). "Banking Hub Adds to Pressure on Iran". The Wall Street
Journal. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
20. ^ "Banking's SWIFT says ready to block Iran transactions". 17 February 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
[edit] External links
 Official SWIFT website
 WIFE: Open Source Java based library for SWIFT messages processing
 SWIFT Formatting Guide
 EU concern at US data transfers BBC News 2007-01-31
 EU press release Swift Affair: European Data Protection Authorities joining efforts
 SIBOS 2009 – Last Annual SWIFT Conference
 SWIFT LATIN AMERICA – How SWIFT evaded labour laws in Brazil
 SIBOS 2010 – Upcoming Annual SWIFT Conference